The Brooklyn Nets visited the Philadelphia 76ers in the inaugural game of the 2023 NBA playoffs, a matchup between the Eastern conference's 3-seed and 6-seed. Brooklyn, however, entered as a bigger underdog than the standings might imply. As Kyle Kuzma was quick to point out, the Nets finished the season on an 11-13 stretch, the only time a newly formed squad has spent together. The Sixers, meanwhile, have been rolling since an early rough patch that ended around Thanksgiving.
Those trends continued in Game 1 on Saturday afternoon, with the Brooklyn Nets suffering a 20-point loss despite playing well for large stretches of the game.